The Future of Tradition – The Tradition of the Future

The Munich exhibition "Masterpieces of Muhammadan Art" in 1910 presented a wide range of Arabic-Islamic visual culture. This pioneering exhibit placed each individual object in its art-historic context and established a new standard for the reception and research of Arabic-Islamic art in the Western world. A hundred years later in 2010, several institutions in Munich were collaborating on a project titled "Changing Views" comprised of various exhibitions commemorating this anniversary. The Federal Cultural Foundation was funding the presentation at the Haus der Kunst in Munich.

The Haus der Kunst displayed a selection of those famous exhibits of 1910 and drew parallels to works by pioneering artists of Western modernity who were inspired by that impressive exhibition. Contemporary artists from Islamic cultural circles have also been invited to the Haus der Kunst to display and discuss their current paintings, sculptures, drawings, architecture, film and photography. The curators hoped this exhibition would be just as successful as the exhibition of 1910 at initiating a public discussion about contemporary Arabic-Islamic art. The goal was to make the public more aware of the complex interchange between tradition and modernity - both in Western cultures and the Islamic world.

Curators: Chris Dercon, León Krempel und Avinoam Shalem
Artists: Doa Aly (EG), Kader Attia (F), Yto Barrada (F), Farah Behbehani (US), Karen Chekerdjian (LB), Saloua Raouda Choucair (LB), Nada Debs (LB), Monir Sharoudy Farmanfarmaian (IR), Chohreh Feyzdjou (IR), Reem al-Ghaith (AE), Wafa Hourani (PS), Emre Hüner (TR), Raya Khalaf (LB), Buthina Canaan Khoury (PS), Abbas Kiarostami (IR), Rachid Koraïchi (DZ), Samir el Kordy (EG), Maha Maamoun (EG), Tala Madani (IR), Nassar Mansour (JO), Milia Maroun (LB), Walid Raad (LB), Mahmoud Said (EG), Ibrahim el Salahi (SD), Bahia Shehab (LB), Huda Smitshuijzen-AbiFarès (LB), Mounira al Solh (LB), Nadine Rachid Laure Touma (LB), Akram Zaatari (LB) und andere. and others

Venue and schedule:
Haus der Kunst München, 17 September 2010 - 9 January 2011